When sliding through a blocky two color world, keep one thing in mind: Space is Key. Actually, if you're playing this painfully challenging arcade game on your iOS device, that title isn't as true. With the browser versions of Space is Key and Space is Key 2, all you do is tap the [spacebar] to jump, hence the name. On a touch screen there is no spacebar, so instead, your finger is key. That's a bit of an awkward title for a game, though, so instead of brain thinking, we'll game playing!

With Space is Key, you control a sliding cube that moves from left to right, right to left, then left to right again. Head through each section of the grouped levels and tap the screen to jump, timing your moves just right to clear the obstacles in your way. Grab the star to proceed to the next area, and nab the shiny cubes to activate/deactivate parts of the environment (or, you know, don't touch them because they'll destroy you). When you die, and you will indeed die many, many times over, you'll start the section again immediately. It's this non-stop action that makes Space is Key such an intense and satisfying game.

Space is Key is all about pixel perfect timing, and we don't use that phrase lightly. If you miss by just the slightest hair, you'll die. Worse yet, you'll barely realize you're dead when you're back at the start of the hallway, sliding along like there's nothing wrong. As you progress through the stages you'll find a few elements switched up, most notably your cube's speed. It gets more and more difficult in later levels, but for some masochistic reason, you'll be compelled to keep playing to the end. Maybe just so you can see how many times you died throughout the whole thing? Either way, Space is Key represents just the kind of painful difficulty we like!

Play Space is Key (browser)

Play Space is Key 2 (browser)

Space is Key

(iPhone, iPod Touch)

NOTE: This game was played and reviewed on an iPad. Game was available in the North American market at the time of publication, but may not be available in other territories. Please see individual app market pages for purchasing info.